Drinking device



G. M. BLEFELD DRINKING DEVICE April 25, 1950 Filed April 22. 1949Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRINKING DEVICEGilbert Marvin Blefeld, Dallas, Tex.

Application April 22, 1949, Serial No. 88,967

2 Claims. 1

The present application relates to a device for training children totake healthy liquid foods, such as milk and ordinarily not especiallytempting. This device includes a drinking vessel for the beverage to bedrunk and a mechanism rendered operative by the inclination of thevessel to drinking position and in that position entertaining or amusingthe youthful drinker.

The general object of the invention is to provide a drinking vessel anda mechanism rendered operative by moving the vessel to tilted ordrinking position, and exhibit a figure which is less visible to thedrinker when the vessel is in upright position, and thereby creating inthe drinker a pleasurable state that makes him overlook the notparticularly tempting taste of the beverage in the vessel.

Another and more specific object of the inven-- tion is to provide adrinking vessel including a wall or walls extending substantially atright angles to the vessel bottom and below the same with a view ofthereby forming a housing for the device amusing the youthful drinkerwhen the figure of the device becomes visible because of its appearancethrough a window opening in the wall extension.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent as theinvention is completely understood, the same resides in the novelty ofconstruction, combination and arrangement of elements hereinafter fullyand specifically described and distinctly claimed in the appendedclaims.

The device should be read in connection with the accompanying drawingforming part of the application and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of applicantsinvention in upright or inoperative position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of applicant's device in tilted ordrinking position.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing in which the same reference characters designate likeelements, numeral 5 denotes a drinking vessel including lateral wallmeans I having a free drinking edge and rigid with a bottom 9. Thecylindrical shape of wall means 1 and bottom shown in the drawing is amere example, not a limitation of the invention.

The material of the drinking vessel proper so far described ispreferably, but not necessarily, transparent and may e. g. be glass orplastic.

A housing l2 preferably of opaque or translucent material such ascertain kinds of glass or plastic has the general shape of a cup likethat of the drinking vessel, but has longer inner and outer diameterspermitting the lower circumferential margin of the wall means I to bereceived in and secured to the margin of the otherwise free edge of thewall M of the housing.

If both the drinking vessel and housing are cylindrical, the exteriormargin of the former above the bottom and the inner margin of theotherwise free edge portion of the latter may have a circumferential ribl 8 and groove l'l respectively for connecting both. A longitudinal slitl8 in the housing permits expansion of the same. The wall means I l ofthe housing has an opening IQ for a purpose which will become obvious asadditional construction is described.

A rod 2| is mounted in bosses 23 formed integral with the inner sidewall of means M of the housing and preferably, but not necessarily,occupying therein a chordal position. This rod serves as a fulcrum andreceives a bearing 25 rigid with one side of a figure 21. lhe same maybe a representation of a human being or of an animal. At its lower endthe figure is weighted by a block of lead 29, which in upright positionof the device urges the figure to lean toward the opening.

A handle 3| may be afiixed to the drinking vessel and is preferablydisposed in a plane parallel to the rod.

When the drinking device of applicants is in the upright position ofFigures 1 and 2, the com mon center of gravity of the figure and weightlies in the vertical plane of rod 23. and the figure is in a leaning ortilted position within the interior surface of the housing. By tiltingthe drinking device to the left and to the dotted line position ofFigure 2, the figure is caused to emerge outside of the opening.

It should be understood that the preferred disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only, and that this invention includes all modificationsand equivalents which fall within the scop of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. In a drinking device the combination comprising a drinking vesselincluding a bottom and a circumferential rib thereabove, a housing witha longitudinal slit and an interior groove for the rib and having in itsside an opening, a weighted figure within the housing and a rod in thehousing opposite the opening and providing a fulcrum for the figure.

2. In a drinking device the combination com-r prisinga drinking vesselincluding a bottom and circumferential rib thereabove, a housing with alongitudinal slit and interior groove for the rib and having in its sidean opening, a weighted figure within the housing, a rod in the housingopposite the opening and providing a fulcrum for the figure, and ahandle aflixed to the vessel and disposed in a plane parallel to therod.

GILBERT MARVIN BLEFELD.

*REF-ERENGES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Fantoni Oct. 6, 1903 PriestnallDec. 13, 1904 Glenn Aug. 14, 1917 Wilcox June 24, 1930 Icle Dec. 10,1940 Chojmik Sept. 23, 1941

